Display Device

ABSTRACT

A user-configurable photo and planar media display device is provided with adjustable pockets to hold the photos, art, or media. A transparent front wall is removably engageable to a support surface to allow user configuration and redimensioning of the formed pockets, to match their photos or media for insertion therein.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/450,091 filed on Mar. 7, 2011, and is incorporated herein in itsentirety by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to display devices for photographs,printed images, postcards, and other media which a user wishes toprotect, transport, and display. More particularly, it relates to awindowed display assembly with receiving pockets having transparentwalls which protect the underlying printed media and which can beadjusted to different sizes and dimensions to accommodate a plurality ofsizes of planar media.

2. Prior Art

The display of photographs and planar media such as photographs,postcards and artwork is conventionally positioned in a singular framedcomponent such as a picture frame. Such frames may or may not have atransparent covering over the displayed media. Frequently, it isdesirable to display photographs in a group or collage with the groupedphotos having some common relation. However, when employing conventionalframes for such an endeavor, the task of assembling the various photosand artwork into a single displayed component and surrounding them withframes, and accommodating different sized photos, is at best acumbersome task and may even involve framing and at least matting ofeach individual photo or item to be grouped in the display. Further,once such a framed display is assembled, be it with matting andregistered cut outs or individual framed photos, the display is fixedand not subject to adjustment for new additions or removal of individualmembers of the grouped photos and the like.

With the advent of digital photography, this problem has been enhanced.Digital photos are now being printed by the photographers themselves,using home or business printers engaged to computers with digitalediting programs. As a result, instead of being limited to sending filmto a lab, and settling upon very few sizes of available photo prints,digital photographers may use software to resize and reformat photos,and print them in virtually an infinite number of dimensions.Consequently, finding frames and photo display holders or matting toaccommodate a plurality of sizes of printed digital photos of infinitesize variance, has become a major problem.

Prior art attempts to provide a means to display media such as photosand artwork are shown for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,553,472 toPevovarchuk, 4,779,368 to Thede, 5,305,537 to Pascarelli, and 5,375,352to Morris. The prior art teaches display assemblies in which discretetransparent pocketed or framed elements are engaged to a supportelement. Photographs or other such artistic media for display,configured only to the same dimensions as provided pockets, are insertedwithin the pocket or frame such that the image on the media can bedisplayed. However, as mentioned, the pockets or framed displaycomponents are of fixed dimensions and only allow for insertion of mediaof the same or smaller dimension, such as photographs printed tostandard photograph dimensions or baseball cards in standard card sizes.This restricts the type of photos or artistic media which may bedisplayed in prior art devices and is undesirable for large photographs,custom formatted and printed photographs, and artistic media desired fordisplay which is of nonconventional sizes such as panoramic photographs.

As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for a display device whichprovides the ability to easily engage and accommodate a grouped displayof photos and artistic media and the like. Such a device should providea means to maintain the displayed media or photos in registeredpositions to each other, to provide the user artistic license to groupand arrange many different photos or artistic media in a grouping. Withthe photos or artistic media so engaged, such a device should allow foreasy transport as well as ongoing protection of the assembled photos andother artistic media grouped with the device. Further, such a deviceshould be fluid in storage ability and allow for easy adjustment of thesize and shape of individual storage and display pockets or other photoand media receiving and display means, to thereby accommodate the widevariety of photo and printed artistic media available in a digital agewithout the need for users to purchase new or customized display andprotection devices when they change dimensions of their photos or art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a means to displayphotographs and other planar or flat media through the provision of adevice having at least one sidewall formed to provide a transparentpanel or plurality of panels engaged on a back support panel. Eachformed transparent panel provides individual discrete receiving cavitiesor pockets in which photos or artwork or planar media is insertablethrough slot openings oriented along either the transverse orlongitudinal direction of the panel. The openings communicating with adisplay cavity behind the transparent panel will thereby accommodate andprotect the surfaces of photographs, artwork, or other such media to bedisplayed by a user.

The formed discrete pockets forming the receiving cavities can be easilylengthened or shortened by the user to allow for the accommodation ofvarying dimensions and shapes of photos and other media for engagementtherein. Resizing is provided through the employment of removablyengageable adhesives or other such removable engagement means whichengage the transparent wall to an underlying rear surface to define theperimeter edges which define the pocket or display cavity for the photosor artwork. For example, in the disclosed device, two pockets side byside which each share an abutting edge on one side of their respectivedefined storage cavities may be adjusted for size by disengaging thecommon edge and either creating two new pockets of differing dimensions,creating a single pocket of a new dimension. Additionally, the planarback support panel to which the transparent sidewall is engaged, may betransparent as well if it is desired to display both sides of thedisplayed media. The planar back is best formed of a polymeric materialsuch as polyethylene or polypropylene as is the front transparent wall.

The device may be provided with a plurality of differently sizedpockets, each having a side access to prevent the photo inserted fromfalling out. Or in the preferred mode, the formed pockets are configuredso that the user may change the pocket size, and/or the holding inposition of photos and art. This may be accomplished by the employmentof pressure sensitive adhesive such as the well known adhesive employedon POST IT notes, which is an adhesive which forms a bond when pressureis applied to marry the adhesive with the adhered material. No solvent,water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesive. It is used inpressure sensitive tapes, labels, note pads, automobile trim, and a widevariety of other products and 3M company is just once source for suchpressure sensitive adhesives which are well known in the art.

The pressure sensitive adhesive is best applied to the substantiallymore rigid rear support panel, rather than the transparent wall which isthe adherent. The adhesive may be applied to the entire rear wallsurface and thereby provide a pressure sensitive mount for the photos ormedia, or it may selectively be placed, to allow certain, or all theformed pockets, to change or move at least one perimeter edge and changethe size of the formed pockets.

The rear wall is preferably formed of a planar material, more rigid thanthe transparent wall. If the display is to be transported, forming therear wall from a polymeric sheet which may be rolled, but not easilyfolded is desired to allow for rolling and transport of the device whileprotecting the underlying photos. Once at a destination, it may beunrolled and pinned to a wall or otherwise displayed.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the arrangement of the components inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstruction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide a display assemblyconsisting of a planar rear panel and transparent front panel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide discrete sizedpockets or similar receiving cavities defined by engagements of thetransparent front panel to the rear panel in perimeter sizes adapted forengagement of photos or other such flat media.

It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a means toselectively adjust the size and shape of some or all the receivingcavities through the provision of removable engagement of selectedcommon edges of the cavities to the support panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the device in one preferredembodiment showing the plurality of pocket portions having moveablecommon edges between adjacent pockets.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device showing the relative thickness ofthe panel components with the rear panel being stiffer than thetransparent wall.

FIG. 3 depicts a view of the device of FIG. 1 showing common perimeteredges of adjacent pockets moved to accommodate new sizes of insertedphotos or art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-3, wherein similar components areidentified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 adepiction typical of a preferred embodiment of the display device 10.One, or as depicted, a plurality of thin transparent plastic panels 12formed of polymeric material, are engaged about at least two perimeteredges 16, to a support panel 14. The support panel 14 may be cardboard,posterboard, or preferably lightweight polymeric material of the like.

Polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropolone sheet forexample is a preferred material as it allows a rolling of the supportpanel 14 with the plastic panel 12 engaged, to provide a means totransport the device 10 with photos or art in the cavities 22 andprevent creasing or wrinkling of the contained photo or artwork in thecavity 22. The support panel 14 may also be substantially transparent innature, so as to allow viewing of the rear of photos, art, or otherplanar media contained in cavities 22.

As depicted in the typical preferred mode of the device 10 in FIGS. 1-3,the transparent panels 12 of the individual pocketed containers 17 suchas shown in FIG. 1, are engaged to the support panel 14 at least twosides of the perimeter edge 16 by a substantially permanent engagementmeans such as adhesive or heated adhesion or other means. This is truewhether there are multiple pocketed containers 17, or a single pocketedcontainer 17 across the entire front surface 15 of the support panel 14.

A removably engaged common edge 20 between adjacent pockets or cavities22 is also engaged to the support panel 12 by an engagement means suchas removable adhesive 21 such as the earlier noted pressure sensitiveadhesive 21. Thus as shown, three perimeter edges 16 are engaged and oneor a plurality of dividing common edges 20 are adjustable to change thesize of the adjacent cavities 22. The positioning and change of theplacement of the common edge 20 as provided by using removable adhesive21 positioned on the front surface 15 of the support panel 12, inpositions sandwiched between the support panel 12 and the transparentpanel 12 making up the transparent protective cover and front wall ofthe device 10.

The entire front surface 15 of the support panel 12 where is mates withan adjacent transparent panel 12, to form the cavities 22, may becovered with the pressure sensitive or removably engageable adhesive 21,or horizontal strips 25 of adhesive 21 may placed on the front surface15 at positions in the cavities 22 so as to allow reconfiguration of thecavities 22 adjacent to each other into different dimensions which wouldbe determined by the placement of the adhesive 21 in the strips 25 suchas shown in FIG. 3. If the entire front surface 15 underneath thetransparent panel 12 is covered, it may also be employed to hold photosand planar media against the front surface 15 of the support panel 14.

In each pocketed container 17, one edge is left open to define a slit 18which forms an aperture through which display media can be inserted to aposition within the cavity 22 and sandwiched between the front surface15 of the support panel 14 and the transparent panel 12 material whichalso serves to protect the surface of the photo or planar media. Any twoadjacent pockets formed by cavities 22, that share a common removablyengaged edge 20, when desired, can move the edge 20 by repositioning theengagement between the adhesive on the front surface 15 and thetransparent panel 12, and redimension the cavities 22 and the slit 18defining aperture for insertion of photos or planar media. It must benoted however, that the transparent panels 12 and the pocketedcontainers 17 and therefor the cavities 22 forming the individualpockets, can be arranged in an almost infinite number of arrangements.Consequently, the orientation and quantity of the cavities 22 andpocketed containers 17 displayed in the figures are merely fordemonstrative purposes showing only one preferred embodiment andtherefor should not be considered limiting. A side view of the device 10can be seen in FIG. 2 depicting the support panel 14 and transparentfront panel(s) 12 defining the pocketed container 17.

The removable nature of the removably engaged common edge 20, whetherthe entire front surface 15 is adhesive covered or strips 25, allows theuser to selectively lengthen or shorten or otherwise redimension anydesired pocket formed by a cavity 22.

FIG. 3 shows one such possible arrangement of selectively lengthenedcavities 22 from their configuration of FIG. 1. When a removably engagedcommon edge 20 shared between two pockets 22 is disengaged, a largerpocket 24 is created and can accommodate varying sized display media.Furthermore, a new, equally larger slit opening 19 is also created toreceive the larger display media. It must again be noted that amultitude of combinations of selectively engaged and disengaged edges 20exists and would take a near infinite number of figures to convey,therefor the arrangement shown in the figure is there merely for thedemonstrative purpose of portraying the nature of the removable edge 20provided by either strips 25 of pressure sensitive or other adhesive onthe front surface 15 sandwiched between the front surface 15 and thetransparent panel 14 forming the pocketed container 17 be it one or aplurality of pocketed containers 17 formed on the support panel 14.

Further, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features ofthe invention have been shown and described herein, with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure andit will be apparent that in some instances, some features of theinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other featureswithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. Itshould also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, andvariations may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all suchmodifications and variations and substitutions are included within thescope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A user-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus,comprising: a support panel having a front surface; at least onepocketed container positioned on said front surface; said pocketedcontainer having a transparent wall having an engagement of a perimeteredge to said front surface of said support wall; said display cavitydefined by said engagement of said perimeter edge, said front surfacewithin said perimeter edge, and an adjacent surface of said transparentwall, abutting said front surface within said perimeter edge; a gap insaid engagement of said perimeter edge providing an aperture forinsertion of photos or planar media into a display cavity; means for aremovable engagement of at least one linear portion of said adjacentportion of said transparent wall positioned within said display cavity,to said front surface in a removable attachment thereto; said engagementof said linear portion forming a common border dividing said displaycavity into a plurality of display cavities; and said engagement of saidlinear portion repositionable to thereby form said border dividing saiddisplay cavity to a different position, whereby said display cavity isuser configurable to one or a plurality of individual adjacent saiddisplay cavities by forming or moving said engagement of said linearportion of said transparent wall upon said front surface.
 2. Theuser-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1additionally comprising: said entire front surface of said support panelwithin said perimeter edge having removably engageable pressuresensitive adhesive therein; and said removable engagement of said atleast one linear portion of said adjacent portion of said transparentwall, engageable to an infinite number of positions to said frontsurface within said perimeter edge; and engagement of said linearportion bifurcating said display cavity into two adjacent said displaycavities.
 3. The user-configurable photo and planar media displayapparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: a plurality of saidremovable engagements of said linear portions to said front surface;said plurality defining at least three said display cavities; and saidpressure sensitive adhesive within said display cavity providing meansto removably hold said photo or planar media thereto.
 4. Theuser-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1additionally comprising: said support panel formed of polymeric materialconfigured for a rolling thereof; said rolling providing means to rollsaid support panel, said transparent wall, and any photos or planarmedia within any said display cavity to a curved position following anarc of said rolling; and whereby said display apparatus provides meansto transport said photos or planar media and prevent folding or abrasionthereto.
 5. The user-configurable photo and planar media displayapparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: said support panel formedof polymeric material configured for a rolling thereof; said rollingproviding means to roll said support panel, said transparent wall, andany photos or planar media within any said display cavity to a curvedposition following an arc of said rolling; and whereby said displayapparatus provides means to transport said photos or planar media andprevent folding or abrasion thereto.
 6. The user-configurable photo andplanar media display apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising: saidsupport panel formed of polymeric material configured for a rollingthereof; said rolling providing means to roll said support panel, saidtransparent wall, and any photos or planar media within any said displaycavity to a curved position following an arc of said rolling; andwhereby said display apparatus provides means to transport said photosor planar media and prevent folding or abrasion thereto.
 7. Theuser-configurable photo and planar media display apparatus of claim 1additionally comprising: at least one linear strip of said front surfaceof said support panel within said perimeter edge, having removablyengageable pressure sensitive adhesive thereon; said removableengagement of said at least one linear portion of said adjacent portionof said transparent wall, positionable along said linear strips;engagement of said linear portion of said adjacent portion of saidtransparent wall to a said linear strip, bifurcating said display cavityinto two adjacent said display cavities.
 8. The user-configurable photoand planar media display apparatus of claim 7 additionally comprising: aplurality of linear strips of said front surface of said support panelwithin said perimeter edge, having removably engageable pressuresensitive adhesive thereon; said removable engagement of said adjacentportion of said transparent wall, positionable at one or a plurality ofsaid linear strips upon said front surface; and engagement of saidadjacent portions of said transparent wall to a said linear strips,dividing said display cavity into multiple adjacent said displaycavities.